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Your weekly transportation news magazineTue, 18 Dec 2018 14:23:44 +0000en-UShourly1https://i0.wp.com/aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/aj_siteicon.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1AASHTO Journalhttps://aashtojournal.org
323278680502‘WOTUS’ Redefinition Could Reduce Regulatory Burden for Transportation Projectshttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/wotus-redefinition-could-reduce-regulatory-burden-for-transportation-projects/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 17:01:46 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1901A proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army to “clarify” federal authority under the Clean Water Act and redefine the term “waters of the United States” or WOTUS could reduce a significant regulatory burden for transportation projects.

[Above photo via Wikimedia Commons.]

“Our proposal would replace the Obama EPA’s 2015 definition with one that respects the limits of the Clean Water Act and provides states and landowners the certainty they need to manage their natural resources and grow local economies,” EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler noted in a statement on Dec. 11.

The EPA’s Andrew Wheeler. Photo by Eric Vance.

“For the first time, we are clearly defining the difference between federally protected waterways and state protected waterways,” he explained. “Our simpler and clearer definition would help landowners understand whether a project on their property will require a federal permit or not, without spending thousands of dollars on engineering and legal professionals.”

The agencies expect to file a rulemaking effort in the Federal Register establishing these definitions before the end of 2018. Right now, however, because of litigation, the EPA noted that the 2015 rule is in effect in 22 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories. Meanwhile, the previous regulations, issued in the 1980s, are in effect in the remaining 28 states.

“This regulatory patchwork creates uncertainty and impedes economic development,” Wheeler noted. “Our proposed definition would establish national consistency and restore the proper relationship between the federal government and states in managing land and water resources.”

Photo by Aaron Volkensy

The new WOTUS proposal would not only place “traditional” navigable waters, tributaries to those waters, certain ditches, certain lakes and ponds, impoundments of jurisdictional waters, and wetlands adjacent to jurisdictional waters under federal oversight, it would also define non-WOTUS categories as well, including: bodies of water formed during or in response to rainfall; groundwater; many ditches, including most roadside or farm ditches; prior converted cropland; storm water control features; and waste treatment systems.

The so-called “ditch exclusion” is critical where transportation projects are concerned.

According comments filed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in 2014, when the Obama Administration first revised the reach of WOTUS, determining “jurisdictional status” and “complying with permitting requirements” can add “weeks, if not months,” to routine ditch maintenance activities.

West Virginia roadway via Wikimedia Commons.

“Cumulatively, these administrative burdens impose significant costs on state DOTs [which] therefore have a strong interest in clarifying the legal standards used for determining jurisdictional status of roadside ditches,” the group said.

For example, AASHTO noted in its letter that, four years ago, the Illinois DOT maintained 26,000 miles of roadside ditches as part of its duties, while the Ohio DOT maintained over 98,000 miles of such ditches.

Aside from ditches, AASHTO also noted in its letter that state DOTs also are responsible for carrying out thousands of road improvement projects every year, ranging from road repair or widening projects to the construction of entirely new roads, and that many of them impact “water resources” that fall within federal jurisdiction or at least have to be evaluated to determine their jurisdictional status.

“Those responsibilities give state DOTs an interest not only in the jurisdictional status of ditches, but also in the standards applied more generally to determining the extent of the federal jurisdiction over wetlands, streams, and other water resources,” the group said.

ARTBA’s Dave Bauer

Dave Bauer, executive vice president of advocacy for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, echoed the importance of the “ditch exclusion” in a statement on Dec. 11, pointing out that “roadside ditches are not, and should not be regulated as, traditional jurisdictional wetlands” as they are not connected water bodies and contribute to the public health and safety of the nation by dispersing water from roadways.

“The regulatory back-and-forth on roadside ditches has created substantial uncertainty for nearly 10 years with little environmental benefit,” he said.

The EPA’s Wheeler and R. D. James, assistant secretary of the U.S. Army for Civil Works, noted in a Kansas City Star op-ed on Dec. 11 that such “uncertainty” regarding the definition of WOTUS has not only created a “patchwork” of wetlands regulations at the state level, it increased regulatory compliance costs as well – costs the new rule would reduce if not eliminate.

“Under the 2015 rule, more farmers, developers and landowners across the U.S. would need to apply for a federal permit to exercise control over their own property,” they wrote, adding that the process to obtain a federal permit often costs tens of thousands of dollars. “The new, more precise definition means that farmers, land owners and businesses will spend less time and money determining whether they need a federal permit and more time upgrading aging infrastructure, building homes, creating jobs and growing crops to feed our families.”

]]>1901https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418panamacity.jpgEPA Issues ‘Conformity Guidance’ in Air Quality Court Decisionhttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/epa-issues-conformity-guidance-in-air-quality-court-decision/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:54:25 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1898A 28-page “conformity guidance” circular issued by the Environmental Protection Agency late last month provides some regulatory relief for transportation projects in areas affected by a controversial air quality decision made by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit eight months ago.

That decision in a lawsuit brought by the South Coast Air Quality Management District against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that found the EPA exceeded its authority in 2015 when it issued a rule making 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards or “NAAQS” the sole set of air quality rules transportation projects were required to meet – unilaterally superseding existing 1997 standards.

Photo of Boston’s Yawkey station via Wikimedia Commons.

As a result of the D.C. Circuit court’s verdict in that case, 82 “orphan areas” in 24 states that were previously nonattainment or maintenance areas for the 1997 ozone standard but are in attainment under the 2008 ozone standard face having to “re-do” their air quality modeling.

However, in a conference call on Dec. 4, the EPA stressed that its “conformity guidance” does not create any new requirements and that orphan areas that have one or more metropolitan planning organizations or MPOs can demonstrate “transportation conformity” to the 1997 ozone NAAQS without a regional emissions analysis.

The city of Atlanta via Wikimedia Commons.

That potentially offers a significant cost and time savings where such projects are concerned, according to analysis by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, as the EPA noted in its document that as “no regional emissions analysis is required in orphan areas, there is no requirement to use the latest emissions model or use either the emissions budget test or interim emissions test.”

In a separate but related effort, the EPA filed an information collection request Nov. 18 in the Federal Register to discern how much such “conformity compliance” impacts transportation plans, programs, and projects.

The EPA said it hopes to use comments generated by the request – which are due on or before Jan. 18, 2019 – to calculate the “burden estimates” for transportation conformity determinations at both the regional and project-level, the differences in conformity resource needs in large and small metropolitan areas as well as isolated rural areas, plus what efficiencies are possible in areas making conformity determinations for multiple NAAQS.

]]>1898https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418epaHQ.jpgUSDOT Officially Awards BUILD Grant Money to 91 Projectshttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/usdot-officially-awards-build-grant-money-to-91-projects/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:48:10 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1896Nearly eight months after it announced the creation of the $1.5 billion “better utilizing investments to leverage development” or BUILD discretionary grant program, which replaced the TIGER program, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded funding to 91 projects in 49 states and the District of Columbia; monies supporting a wide variety road, rail, transit, port, and even broadband infrastructure projects.

[A state-by-state list of the projects that were awarded BUILD grants can be found here.]

The agency noted during a Dec. 11 event announcing the awards that demand far exceeded supply, as it received 851 eligible applications from all 50 states, as well as U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, representing collectively more than $10.9 billion in funding.

Photo by Arkansas DOT

USDOT added that those applications were evaluated by a team of 222 career staff and selected based first on a broad series of criteria – such as safety, economic competitiveness, quality of life, environmental protection, and state of good repair – then on more specific goals, such as support for connected and autonomous vehicle or CAV infrastructure, broadband service to underserved communities, plus public-private sector infrastructure partnerships or P3s.

Two projects in Colorado exemplify the “specific criteria” used to award this round of BUILD grants. First, USDOT awarded more than $7 million in funding to reconstruct South Midland Avenue – including monies to install broadband infrastructure and relocate existing overhead utilities. A second Colorado project received $20 million to create a 537 mile-long commercial-scale “CAV environment” using vehicle-to-everything or V2X technology incorporating real-time communication capability. That system will send safety and mobility-critical messages directly to drivers through infrastructure-to-vehicle or I2V channels as well as notify the Colorado Department of Transportation of crashes or hazards on the road via vehicle-to-infrastructure or V2I communication.

Photo by Colorado DOT

USDOT also noted that 59 percent of the 851 applications for this round of BUILD grants were for rural projects, with 62 out of the final 91 awards funding rural projects. The agency added that, for this round of BUILD grants, the maximum award topped out at $25 million for a single project, while no more than $150 million could be awarded to a single state. On top of that, this round of grants included a $5 million minimum award for projects located in urban areas, along with a $1 million minimum for rural projects.

However, in terms of long-term transportation strategy, many in the industry believe disbursing more project monies via the existing formula-based structure, rather through such discretionary grant efforts, provides a faster and more flexible funding process.

Carlos Braceras, executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation and president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, reiterated that point in testimony before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held an informational hearing on Nov. 28

“For over one hundred years, we as a nation have enjoyed the fruits of the federal government’s highly successful partnership with state DOTs to build and maintain our surface transportation system,” Braceras said.

“Federal investment in all modes of transportation have allowed states and their local partners to fund a wide range of projects that serve the interest of the nation as a whole,” he added. “The federal surface transportation program’s inherent flexibility defers project selection and investment decision-making to state and local governments based on extensive public input from local communities and businesses to address their needs and ensure goods get access to a larger market than ever before. Putting the formula program framework … into work again to underpin the next surface transportation legislation represents the optimal approach to serve all corners of our country, improving mobility and quality of life in urban, suburban, and rural areas.”

]]>1896https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/101918DOTHQ1.jpgHouse Hearing Debates Potential of 21st Century Fuels Acthttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/house-hearing-debates-potential-of-21st-century-fuels-act/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:44:27 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1893A legislative effort to transition federal transportation fuel standards from current “blend-specific” mandates to “performance-based” standards for so-called “renewable fuels” and the vehicles that use them sparked debate during a Dec. 11 hearing before the House of Representatives Committee for Energy and Commerce.
Rep. John Shimkus

The hearing focused on a “discussion draft” released Nov. 21 called the 21st Century Transportation Fuels Act. Co-sponsored by Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., and Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, the bill seeks to “remove long-standing barriers” to the availability and usability of higher ethanol blends, provide an additional decade of certainty for advanced biofuels, and “harmonize” vehicle efficiency programs between the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“Rather than looking at individual federal transportation fuel policies on their own, the draft 21st Century Transportation Fuels Act takes a wider view of those policies and considers how they might work together to bring more value to consumers and more certainty to stakeholders,” Rep. Shimkus said in his opening remarks.

“Stakeholders on all sides of this debate have been whipsawed for months by rumored and actual administrative actions, and that uncertainty will only increase after 2022 when EPA receives even broader discretion to set biofuel blending requirements,” he said. “In fact, given EIA projections of declining liquid transportation fuel demand, it’s difficult to envision a post-2022 scenario in which biofuel volumes would not actually be lower than they are today.”

An ethanol fueling station. Photo by Andy Classen.

Kurt Kovarik, vice president of federal affairs for the National Biodiesel Board, took issue with the legislation in his testimony, noting it would “direct EPA to set backward-looking volume requirements [which] may protect existing assets but not drive investment and further growth.”

He added that the 21st Century Transportation Fuels Act “proposes to abruptly end its support for biodiesel production in 2032, while the current RFS [renewable fuel standard] continues beyond that.”

Steve Zimmer, executive director of the United States Council for Automotive Research, added in his written remarks that while the discussion draft is a “great milestone” and an “excellent example” of a more “integrated approach” between energy and mobility needs, a provision that allows for gasoline with up to a 20 percent ethanol content conflicts with current U.S. car fleet warranties that cover blended fuels with only between 10 percent and 15 percent ethanol content.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

“Our member companies are also concerned about the discussion draft’s vehicle design requirement that states automakers shall improve fuel economy connected to the use of gasoline that has a research octane number of 95 or higher,” he said. “Automakers are continuously

Yet Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment, stressed in his remarks that “liquid fuel powered motor vehicles are expected to be the dominant type of vehicle used by Americans for decades to come and that no one knows what is going to happen regarding our nation’s renewable fuel mix beginning in 2023 – which is why this draft is so important.”

He believes that by “transitioning” near-term to higher octane fuel blends and vehicles – whose engines are designed to maximize fuel efficiency – “we can both incorporate more renewable liquid fuels into the fuel supply” while also increasing vehicle fuel economy.

“To me, the bottom line is that new fuels and vehicles must first and foremost deliver benefits while improving our environment,” Rep. Walden stressed.

“I know some folks will want to discuss electric vehicles in conjunction with this bill … but liquid fuels for motor vehicles and the looming questions arising in 2023 make the most sense to tackle right now,” he added. “As things stand right now, I have great concerns about the viability of EV’s in meeting the needs of rural America, not to mention range and price issues that make EVs unrealistic for many Americans today, even as new innovations make their use more and more reasonable for many in our urban and suburban areas.”

]]>1893https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/110918CapitolHill.jpgUSDOT OIG Report Highlights FAA Cybersecurity Issueshttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/usdot-oig-report-highlights-faa-cybersecurity-issues/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:38:56 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1890A 24-page report issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General on Dec. 4 noted that the Federal Aviation Administration has not yet completed “phase 1” of required Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program compliance to secure its data systems against cyberattacks.

[Graphic via Wikimedia Commons.]

“The FAA reported to USDOT that 23 percent of its assets could not block unauthorized software from executing, but USDOT reported to the Department of Homeland Security that 100 percent of its assets had this capability,” the OIG said.

“USDOT also reported that 86 percent of its assets had been assessed for vulnerabilities using Security Content Automation Protocol or SCAP-validated products. However, 75 percent of those assets are at FAA, which reported to USDOT that less than 20 percent of its assets had been checked with a SCAP-validated product.”

As a result, the OIG said the FAA “may not have the valid, accurate and complete information it needs” to make “risk-based decisions in a timely and effective manner.”

A greater emphasis on cybersecurity is being placed on government data networks partially in response to President Trump’s National Cyber Strategy unveiled in September, a key tenet of which is increasing the security and resilience of the nation’s information and information systems.

“We will do this by taking specific steps to secure Federal networks and information, secure critical infrastructure, combat cybercrime, and improve incident reporting,” the White House noted in a Sept. 20 briefing.

]]>1890https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418cyber.pngWHO Report Indicates Global Road Traffic Deaths Keep Risinghttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/who-report-indicates-global-road-traffic-deaths-keep-rising/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:35:15 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1886A new report by the World Health Organization indicates road traffic deaths continue to increase, now topping 1.35 million fatalities annually. The group’s 2018 road safety report also noted that road traffic injuries are now the leading killer of children and young people aged five to 29 worldwide.

[Above photo via Wikimedia Commons.]

However, the report also noted that – despite the increase in the overall number of deaths – the rates of death due to road traffic incidents relative to the size of the world population stabilized in recent years, suggesting that existing road safety efforts in some middle- and high-income countries are “mitigating” the situation.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

WHO said in the report that “better legislation” around key risks such as speeding, drinking and driving, and failing to use seat-belts, motorcycle helmets and child restraints, along with “safer infrastructure” like sidewalks and dedicated lanes for cyclists and motorcyclists.

On top of that, improved vehicle standards – such as mandates for electronic stability control and advanced braking systems – plus enhanced post-crash medical care helped reduce road traffic deaths in 48 middle- and high-income countries. However, not a single low-income country has demonstrated a reduction in overall deaths, in large part because these measures are lacking.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed in a statement that “these deaths are an unacceptable price to pay for mobility” and that “there is no excuse for inaction. This is a problem with proven solutions.”

Funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the WHO 2018 road safety report found that the risk of a road traffic death remains three times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries.

The rates are highest in Africa (26.6 per 100,000 population) and lowest in Europe (9.3 per 100,000 population). On the other hand, since the previous edition of the report, three regions of the world have reported a decline in road traffic death rates: The Americas, Europe and the Western Pacific.

A highway crash in Australia. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Variations in road traffic deaths are also reflected by type of road user, WHO noted in its report. Globally, pedestrians and cyclists account for 26 percent of all road traffic deaths, with that figure as high as 44 percent in Africa and 36 percent in the Eastern Mediterranean, the group said.

Additionally, motorcycle riders and passengers account for 28 percent of all road traffic deaths, but the proportion is higher in some regions, such as South-East Asia (43 percent) and the Western Pacific region (36 percent).

]]>1886https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418crashRome.jpgNational Poll Highlights Lack of Transportation Options for Older Adults, People with Disabilitieshttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/national-poll-highlights-lack-of-transportation-options-for-older-adults-people-with-disabilities/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:25:55 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1884A poll conducted by the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center indicates that 68 percent of older adults and 79 percent of younger adults with disabilities believe locating “alternative transportation” if they could not drive would be “very difficult” or “somewhat difficult,” as both overwhelming said driving their own vehicle is the primary way they get around (82 percent and 66 percent, respectively) followed by getting a ride with family or friends (58 percent and 74 percent).

[Above photo by the Maryland Transit Administration.]

The results of the NADTC poll – released in a 32-page report on Dec. 6 – also found that just 15 percent of older adults and 32 percent of younger adults with disabilities use public transportation services.

“Access to transportation is key to support the health and well-being of older adults and ensure their ability to age in place and have a high quality of life in their community,” noted Virginia Dize, co-director of NADTC and transportation program director for the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging.

Photo by the Maryland Transit Administration

“Yet this survey reveals that access to transportation that meets their needs is clearly a major challenge,” she said in a statement. “While local transportation options do exist, older adults and people with disabilities do not know about them or have access to them.

The NADTC – a non-profit organization funded through a cooperative agreement of Easterseals, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the U.S Department of Transportation, and Federal Transit Administration – added that with more than one in 5 Americans older than age 65 not driving, demand for transportation is steadily increasing as the boomer population continues to grow. Given that 600,000 people stop driving every year, there is no end to the challenge in sight, the group said.

Other findings from NADTC’s poll include:

Fewer people living in rural areas or small towns say the transportation alternatives available to them are good. Only 49 percent of older adults and 45 percent of younger adults with disabilities in small towns say they have good alternatives to driving, compared to 62 percent of older adults and 75 percent of younger adults with disabilities in large cities or suburbs.

Those who do not drive face many barriers, including access to affordable transportation alternatives. Access and availability (40 percent older adults, 38 percent younger adults with disabilities) and affordability (12 percent, 20 percent) stand out as barriers, particularly for those without a caregiver; and only about a quarter say they have excellent options.

There is no single “go-to” resource for alternative transportation options. Some 43 percent of older adults and 48 percent of people living with disabilities rely on family, friends or colleagues for information and many (24 percent and 31 percent) search on the computer, NADTC found, with organizations that serve older adults or people with disabilities and transportation agencies are “less frequently consulted.”

State departments of transportation are stepping up efforts to help change that, especially as data indicates older drivers can be higher risks of a crash.

Photo by the Maryland Transit Administration

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, for one, recently co-hosted an older driver safety event on Dec. 4 with the Pennsylvania Department of Aging, noting that 22 percent of Pennsylvania’s 8.9 million licensed drivers are 65 and older. In 2017, there were 21,319 crashes involving a driver 65 and older, resulting in 270 fatalities. This represents nearly 17 percent of the total crashes in Pennsylvania and nearly 24 percent of the fatalities, explained PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards in a statement.

“It’s essential for older drivers and their family members to speak openly about what they’ll do when it is time to hang up the keys for safety’s sake,” she said, noting that crash rates increase as drivers age because these drivers may have health conditions or take medications that negatively affect their driving abilities, and this can put them and other road users at risk.

Leslie Richards

PennDOT noted that there is a “growing network of services” dedicated to keeping older adults mobile, safe, and engaged in their community. In fiscal year 2016-2017, more than 140,000 older Pennsylvanians accessed transportation services through their local Area Agencies on Aging, totaling more than 1.6 million rides, the agency said.

Fritzi Schreffler, the safety press officer for PennDOT District 8, recently highlighted one such service called “CarFit,” an educational program created by the American Society on Aging and developed with AAA, AARP, and the American Occupational Therapy Association, designed to help older drivers find out how well they currently fit their personal vehicle, to learn how they can improve their fit, and to promote conversations about driver safety and community mobility.

The Texas Department of Transportation is beginning to craft a multi-million-dollar transportation plan aimed at helping older Texans get around without driving. According to a recent news story, the agency plans to hold a series of statewide “listening sessions” to address the mobility problems facing older adults, while $6 million will be divided into areas where current transportation is “unavailable” or “failing” for them.

In a Dec. 12 statement, the FAA said that Shaffer – who holds a private pilot’s license – is returning to the agency’s ranks from the private sector, where he headed up his own consulting firm – D. Kirk Shaffer, PLLC – after serving as senior counsel with consulting firm Crowell & Moring, LLP.

D. Kirk Shaffer

A U.S. Army veteran who was Ranger, airborne, jumpmaster, and air assault qualified, Shaffer is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and headed up the FAA’s airports organization from 2007 to 2009; a group tasked with ensuring airports around the country met all regulatory and statutory guidelines relating to safety, capacity, and security.

From 1986 to 2004, he served as executive assistant to the president, director of properties, and general counsel to the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. In those capacities, he worked on a wide range of environmental, construction, and airport funding issues, especially those related to the FAA’s AIP and the National Environmental Policy Act.

]]>1880https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418dullesairport.jpgVideo Report: Oklahoma DOT Director Talks Bridges, CAVshttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/video-report-oklahoma-dot-director-talks-bridges-cavs/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:16:23 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1878Mike Patterson, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, recently sat down for a video interview with Transportation TV to discuss his agency’s “multi-year effort” to repair and modernize thousands of bridges across the Sooner State, along with how his department is adapting to handle the needs of connected and autonomous vehicles.

Patterson, appointed executive director for the Oklahoma DOT five years ago, said bridge conditions in his state have risen from “near the bottom” in national rankings to “in the top 10” and expects to be “in the top five” by 2020.

On top of that, Patterson said Oklahoma DOT has formed a task force to address what the state needs to do to help CAVs be successfully deployed on its roads. “It’s not necessarily about projects” anymore. “It’s about how we move goods and people; it may even be something we don’t even know about today.”

]]>1878https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418OKDOT1.jpgCalifornia Commission Allocates More Than $600M to Fund Transportation Projects Statewidehttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/california-commission-allocates-more-than-600m-to-fund-transportation-projects-statewide/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:14:47 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1876The California Transportation Commission officially allocated more than $600 million on Dec. 7 to fund “hundreds” of transportation projects, including highways, rail, transit, and technology endeavors. That tranche of funding includes $80 million generated from the taxes and fees instituted via Senate Bill 1 or from SB 1 in 2017; legislation also known as the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

[Above photo by Caltrans.]

Caltrans Director Laurie Berman noted in a statement that more than 200 transportation projects will “improve and maintain California’s current transportation system,” with most of the allocations going to projects within the State Highway Operations and Protection Program or SHOPP, which is the California highway system’s “fix-it-first” program that funds safety improvements, emergency repairs, highway preservation and some operational highway improvements.

[That includes striping projects, to lay down wider and brighter traffic lane lines and reflectors to improve highway safety.]

Roughly 17 “active transportation” projects that aim to “encourage walking and biking,” such as new bike lanes and walking trails, are getting $12 million in funding, while the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital program – focused on “modernizing” transit systems – is getting nearly $32 million to fund four rail and transit projects.

[Here’s a look at some of the philosophies underpinning Caltrans’ push to incorporate bicycling and walking into its transportation strategy.]

That includes $11.2 million for the Monterey County Rail Extension, which is working to extend passenger rail service from Santa Clara County south to Salinas, to help pay for a bus transfer area for local and intercity buses, bike lanes and storage, expanded and improved parking including loading zones, and pedestrian crossings.

The rest – some $29.8 million – goes to the Metrolink commuter rail system for design work along its Orange, San Bernardino and Ventura line, including improvements to the Marengo siding and double track in Simi Valley.

]]>1876https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418caltrans.jpgAlaska DOT&PF Reopening Highways with ‘Temporary’ Fixes, Plans More Permanent Restoration in 2019https://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/alaska-dotpf-reopening-highways-with-temporary-fixes-plans-more-permanent-restoration-in-2019/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:11:54 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1874As the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities guides repairs to highways and roads damaged in a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck the state on Nov. 30, it is currently focused on making “temporary fixes” to reopen them quickly, putting off more permanent restoration efforts until 2019.

[Above photo by Alaska DOT&PF.]

“Winter construction is particularly difficult, soils are frozen, and paving and painting is challenging,” the agency said in a statement on Dec. 5. “Additionally, these repairs are focused on restoring travel, and are not expected to have a 20-year life cycle, which is what the state expects from typical highway construction.”

Thus the Alaska DOT&PF stressed that the current focus of repair work is to “restore essential travel,” with more permanent repairs put off until next summer.

Photo by Alaska DOT&PF

“Typical summer construction has longer life cycles, including paint, paving and guardrails,” the agency stressed. “The department will continue identifying damage sites, make repairs and plan for permanent fixes.”

Shannon McCarthy, an Alaska DOT&PF spokesperson, explained in an interview with The Verge that crews worked around the clock through days of heavy snow, high winds of 65 mph, and frequent aftershocks to clear away damaged asphalt, dig out water-saturated sediments that slipped or sunk during the quake, then lay in fresh material and compact to create a new “base” atop which fresh asphalt could be laid. She noted that asphalt plant owners “switched on their heaters” right after the earthquake passed, knowing a major short-term road-repaving effort lay ahead.

Photo by Alaska DOT&PF

“We were fortunate that they did that,” McCarthy told The Verge. “By the time we’d finished the earthworks, the asphalt plants were ready to go.”

That helped the agency and its contractors’ complete temporary repairs to eight major transportation corridors severely damaged by the earthquake, re-opening them in just seven days.

“Since Friday’s earthquake, DOT&PF employees and Alaska contractors have worked tirelessly to re-establish essential transportation links,” said newly-installed Gov. Mike Dunleavy (R) in a statement. “Regardless of the challenges, they have committed to finding solutions in record time.”

]]>1874https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418alaskaDOT1.jpgVideo Report: VDOT Begins Testing ‘Permeable’ Pavement Designshttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/video-report-vdot-begins-testing-permeable-pavement-designs/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:09:28 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1872To help minimize storm water run-off from highways and parking lots, the Virginia Department of Transportation recently began testing “permeable” or “porous” pavement, which is designed to allow water to pass through the pavement surface into the underlying base material, with the water allowed to seep into the roadway or parking lot’s underlying soil to be discharged via an outlet by way of an underdrain.

A 24-page report conducted for VDOT in June by the Virginia Transportation Research Council concluded that, “depending on the site-specific conditions of a given project, porous asphalt has the potential to be less expensive and/or less intrusive than some other storm water BMP or [best management practice] alternatives, primarily because it can be placed within the footprint of the facility and therefore does not require additional right-of-way for construction.”

]]>1872https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418vdothwy2.jpgHawaii DOT Continues Making Repairs to Volcano-Ravaged Highwayhttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/hawaii-dot-continues-making-repairs-to-volcano-ravaged-highway/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:07:04 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1870The Hawaii Department of Transportation is continuing to make what it calls “emergency repairs” to Mamalahoa Highway or Route 11 due to earthquakes effects caused by Kilauea Volcano eruptions that began on May 3 and did not taper off until the end of August.

The agency said between April 30 and August 4 this year, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory recorded approximately 60,000 earthquakes—with 4,400 of those earthquakes measured at a magnitude of 3 or greater and the largest measuring at moment magnitude of 6.9. Those earthquakes caused “rifts” to form under Mamalahoa Highway, which the Hawaii DOT began repairing on Dec. 11.

[Hawaii DOT’s Ed Sniffen described the impact of the Kilauea Volcano and his agency’s response effort to its eruptions on June 8 this year.]

As a result of its repair efforts, the agency said in a statement that it is deploying single lane restrictions through Dec. 19, and those closures will remain in place until a new asphalt layer for the roadway is completely installed.

From July 6 to present, the Hawaii DOT noted that it fixed “subsurface voids” at five locations along Route 11 along with embankment repairs. Further repairs are planned at three additional locations. The agency added that it is using so-called ground “truthing” tests, which use radar and cameras to determine the “true” size and depth of the subsurface voids prior to beginning repairs. It will also continue to monitor Route 11’s roadway conditions via cameras that can viewed at: http://ops.punatraffic.com/

]]>1870https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121418hawaiiVolcano.jpgPennDOT to Invest $6M in Airport Improvements Statewidehttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/penndot-to-invest-6m-in-airport-improvements-statewide/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:05:20 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1868The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will help guide investment of $6 million in state funds at 26 airports, focused on “infrastructure and equipment upgrades” to maintain safety and expand aviation-related “operational and economic opportunities.”

[Above photo by the Pennsylvania College of Technology.]

“With more than 400 airports across the state, this support from my administration helps keep aviation a viable transportation alternative and adds to our economy as well,” said Gov. Tom Wolf (D) in a statement on Dec. 6. “These airports support hundreds of thousands of jobs and offer services that are attractive to the business community and others interested in general aviation.”

Gov. Tom Wolf

Included in the grants is $2.2 million in state funding from PennDOT’s aviation development program, which comes from the state’s jet fuel tax, and $4 million from the Multimodal fund. The two funding streams leverage $2.1 million in local matching funds., the agency added, noting that public-use airports in the state are eligible for the aviation development program grants as well.

PennDOT added that this follows $15 million worth of investments made in 14 Pennsylvania airports back on May 25.

]]>1868https://aashtojournal.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/121417pennairport1.jpgNOCoE Presents Arizona DOT with Two Safety Awardshttps://aashtojournal.org/2018/12/14/nocoe-presents-arizona-dot-with-two-safety-awards/
Fri, 14 Dec 2018 16:01:16 +0000https://aashtojournal.org/?p=1865The Arizona Department of Transportation recently won two awards from the National Operations Center of Excellence; one for a series of lane adjustments and new signs that dramatically reduced minor rear-end crashes on westbound U.S. 60, known as Superstition Freeway, and another for a system being pilot tested on 15 miles of Interstate 17 outside Phoenix that aims to reduce the risk posed by wrong-way drivers.

[Above photo a view of U.S. 60 by ADOT.]

“It takes a creative, passionate and dedicated team to develop and deliver improvements like these that make a significant difference for travelers,” noted Brent Cain, head of ADOT’s Transportation Systems Management and Operations division, in a statement. “Their work, in coordination with partner agencies, aligns with ADOT’s goals of improving safety and mobility throughout Arizona.”

The NOCoE – a partnership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the Institute for Transportation Engineers, and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, with support from the Federal Highway Administration – awarded ADOT its “Best Transportation Systems Management and Operations Project Award” for the U.S. 60 safety improvements, while the wrong-way driver detection system received “runners-up” honors.

Photo by Dougtone

“Arizonans’ safety will always be our No. 1 priority,” Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) said in a statement. “ADOT’s efforts to leverage technology and develop innovative solutions are bringing about real, measurable improvements to roadway safety. Arizona will continue to focus on how we can constantly improve the safety and reliability our roadways.”

In July, ADOT said changed lane striping and signage on U.S. 60 as it merged into eastbound I-10, improving overall traffic flow in the freeway’s left lanes. Compared to the five years before this improvement, crashes in those lanes have declined by 90 percent during afternoon peak hours.

The I-17 wrong-way pilot system deployed in January and uses thermal camera to alert ADOT and Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers to wrong-way drivers. The system also warns drivers directly via overhead message boards and ramp-meter lights that turn red, the agency noted.

Photo by Arizona DOT

During the 11 months of testing so far, the system detected more than 40 wrong-way vehicles, most of which have turned around on highway ramps without entering the freeway, ADOT said.

“Innovative approaches that better manage our infrastructure and incorporate cutting-edge technology are why we reorganized in 2015 to create a Transportation Systems Management and Operations division,” ADOT Director John Halikowski added in a statement. “At the heart of this is a commitment to safety and to creating the most reliable transportation system in the nation.”